John J. Hickey
John J. Hickey (August 22, 1911 – September 22, 1970) was an American politician who served the 24th Governor of Wyoming and Senator as a Democrat before sitting on the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
John J. Hickey | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit | |
| In office June 9, 1966 – September 22, 1970 | |
| Appointed by | Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | John Coleman Pickett |
| Succeeded by | James Emmett Barrett |
| United States Senator from Wyoming | |
| In office January 3, 1961 – November 6, 1962 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph C. O'Mahoney |
| Succeeded by | Milward Simpson |
| 24th Governor of Wyoming | |
| In office January 5, 1959 – January 2, 1961 | |
| Preceded by | Milward Simpson |
| Succeeded by | Jack R. Gage |
| United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming | |
| In office 1949–1953 | |
| President | Harry Truman |
| Preceded by | John Coleman Pickett |
| Succeeded by | John F. Raper |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Joseph Hickey August 22, 1911 Rawlins, Wyoming, U.S. |
| Died | September 22, 1970 (aged 59) Cheyenne, Wyoming, U.S. |
| Resting place | Rawlins Cemetery, Rawlins, Wyoming, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Winifred E. Epsy |
| Children | 2 |
| Mother | Brigit O'Meara |
| Father | John Joseph Hickey |
| Education | University of Wyoming College of Law (LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1942-1945 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Life
John Joseph Hickey was born in Rawlins, Wyoming to John Joseph Hickey and Brigit O'Meara on August 22, 1911. He attended public schools in Rawlins where he graduated in 1929 and then graduated with a law degree from the University of Wyoming College of Law with in 1934. He practiced law in Rawlins from 1934 to 1942. Hickey served as city treasurer of Rawlins from 1935 to 1940 and was county attorney of Carbon County from 1939 to 1942.
In 1942 he joined the army as a private and after serving for forty two months rose to the rank of captain. On December 25, 1945 he was honorably discharged and on January 15, 1946 he married Winifred Epsy. He served as county attorney of Carbon County from 1946 to 1949 and in 1949 President Harry S. Truman appointed Hickey as the United States district attorney for Wyoming. In 1954 he was elected as chairman of the Wyoming Democratic Party and served until 1958.
Governor and Senator
He was the Governor of Wyoming from 1958 to 1960. At the 1960 Democratic National Convention Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson asked Hickey to second his nomination for the presidency which he did.[1] During the 1960 presidential election Hickey stated that the issue over Kennedy's Catholicism would not be important in Wyoming due to Hickey, who was also a Catholic, having won in 1958.[2] As Governor, he appointed himself as United States Senator from Wyoming from 1961 to 1962, but lost election in 1962. On October 15, 1962 he suffered a heart attack, but recovered.[3]
Tenth Circuit
He was in private practice of law in Rawlins from 1962 to 1966. Hickey was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson on May 12, 1966, to a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit vacated by Judge John Coleman Pickett. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 9, 1966, and received his commission the same day.
In July 1970 he was hospitalized for a stomach ulcer and in August he went to the Presbyterian Medical Center in Denver for lung cancer treatment.[4] On September 22, 1970 he died in a Cheyenne hospital.[5]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John J. Hickey | 55,070 | 48.94% | -0.56% | |
| Republican | Milward Simpson (incumbent) | 52,488 | 46.64% | -3.86% | |
| Economy | Louis W. Carlson | 4,979 | 4.42% | +4.42 | |
| Total votes | '112,537' | '100.00%' | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Milward Simpson | 69,043 | 57.84% | +1.47 | |
| Democratic | John J. Hickey (incumbent) | 50,329 | 42.16% | -1.47% | |
| Total votes | '119,372' | '100.00%' | |||
References
- Logan, James K. (January 1, 1992). "The Federal Courts of the Tenth Circuit: A History". U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. p. 408 – via Google Books.
- "Religion No Issue Here, Hickey Says". Casper Star-Tribune. July 21, 1960. p. 2. Archived from the original on January 16, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Sen. Hickey Suffers Mild Heart Attack". The Billings Gazette. October 17, 1962. p. 20. Archived from the original on January 20, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Hickey Has Lung Cancer". Casper Star-Tribune. August 2, 1970. p. 1. Archived from the original on January 18, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Judge Hickey, Former Governor-Senator, Dies". Casper Star-Tribune. September 23, 1970. p. 1. Archived from the original on January 18, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by William M. Jack |
Democratic nominee for Governor of Wyoming 1958 |
Succeeded by Jack R. Gage |
| Preceded by Raymond B. Whitaker |
Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Wyoming (Class 2) 1962 |
Succeeded by Teno Roncalio |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Milward Simpson |
Governor of Wyoming January 5, 1959 – January 2, 1961 |
Succeeded by Jack R. Gage |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by Joseph C. O'Mahoney |
U.S. senator (Class 2) from Wyoming January 3, 1961 – November 6, 1962 Served alongside: Gale W. McGee |
Succeeded by Milward Simpson |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by John Coleman Pickett |
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit June 9, 1966 – September 22, 1970 |
Succeeded by James Emmett Barrett |
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| Class 2 | ||
Authority control  |
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